The second week at CSW is usually less packed with parallel events. However, these important events continued to address crucial aspects for gender equality. I was especially interested in the aspect of economic empowerment. Improving and accelerating the economic empowerment of women leads to gender equality and the better status of women within society. This has been considered a precondition for women to be able to stand up for their rights. It was, however, acknowledged that ‘money in a woman’s hand’ is not enough to provide her the skills and attributes she needs to take her life into her hands assertively and pro-actively.
In many sessions the emphasis was put on the importance of mentoring in all aspects of personal and professional growth. And mentoring was considered a best practice for leadership development of women. I met many wonderful women, besides Soroptimists, who dedicate themselves to supporting other women’s development, which I found most encouraging. I learned that in order to accelerate change in a society you need a critical mass, which is considered to be around 30% of the population. And I learned that a society where women have the equality they deserve enjoys a higher economic standard. These facts are good arguments for us to put all our efforts into supporting women to move from education to employment.
There is still a lot to do to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, that women working in the informal sector are adequately protected and that a working environment is created which encourages women of all ages to remain in the work force. Attending the CSW has surely inspired me again – and I will be able to include the new insights as well as the contacts made into my professional planning.
Ulrike Neubert